Environment
is nothing but the one which surrounds each and every living and non-living
organism on the earth. The environment consists of a non living component
namely abiotic component, living component namely biotic component and an
energy component.
ABIOTIC COMPONENTS
The
abiotic component is the non-living or physical component of the environment. The
abiotic environment consists of all the non living organisms of our environment
like air, land, light, water, etc. The abiotic component mainly consists of
Lithosphere, Hydrosphere and Atmosphere.
LITHOSPHERE
The
earth is covered both on the surface and under the ground by old rigid rocks
and soil. This land and underground covering of the earth is known as lithosphere.
The soil covers a majority of the Earth’s land. The soil which covers the earth
now was formed several millions of years ago. The soil of the earth has minerals,
both organic and inorganic nutrients, and all the other essential nutrients
necessary for the proper growth of plants. All the nutrients of the soil
penetrate deeper into the ground and they are present as deep as the roots of
the plants. Since these plants act as food for all the animals, the nutrients
which the plants absorb from the soil are transferred through the food chain to
the animals. Animals excrete waste and all these wastes are deposited on the
land surface. These wastes are decomposed by bacteria and fungi present in the
soil and they return the nutrients back to the soil. In this way, the nutrient
content of the soil is maintained. Some of the minerals which are present in
the soil are calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, silicates, etc. The nutrients
and the minerals present in the soil help to maintain the fertility of the soil.
Many small insects, bacteria, fungi, worms and pests survive only in the soil.
They help in balancing and maintaining the nutrient content of the soil. Lithosphere
contains a large number of minerals which the humans extract from the soil and
manufacture goods by mining these minerals for their livelihood. Many natural
non renewable resources such as coal, petroleum and natural gas are also found
in the lithosphere.
HYDROSPHERE
Like
soil, water is also an essential component of our earth. Nearly seventy percent
of the earth’s surface is covered by water. The surface of the earth as well as
under the surface and above the surface of the earth is covered by water. This
covering of the earth with water is called hydrosphere. Hydrosphere includes
not only the water which is present in lakes, oceans, ponds, sea, etc. but also
includes the water which is present in the soil and under the ground and also
the water which is present in the vapour form in the atmosphere. Ninety seven
percentage of water is present in ocean and the remaining three percentage of
water is found as fresh water. Ice present in the polar regions has less than
one percentage of water. Less than one percentage of water is available for
drinking purpose. For many aquatic animals like fish, whale, tortoises, etc
water only serves as their home. The hydrologic cycle or the water cycle is
responsible for maintaining the water which is present in the Earth. The water
which is present in the water bodies evaporate because of the heat of the sun
and deposit as vapour in the atmosphere to form clouds. Now the amount of water
in the water bodies gradually decreases. When enough amount of water vapour is
deposited in the clouds, it returns water back to the Earth in the form of
rain. The rain water slowly fills up the water bodies. Thus the water content
of the water bodies is maintained and balanced.
Suppose if the temperature of the Earth was colder, then the water will be frozen state and if the temperature of Earth was hot, then the water will be present in a gaseous and vapour state. The water which is present in the earth is in the liquid state only because of the moderate temperature of our planet Earth. The water which is present in the oceans and seas keep moving everyday .The movement of water mainly depends on temperature of the water as well as the salt content of the water. Since the warm water which is present in the tropical regions has more temperature and it is less dense, this water moves towards the northern poles and the cold water which is present in the poles has less temperature when compared to the warm water in the tropics and hence this cold water moves from the poles to the tropical region. All the living organisms, both plants and animals depend on water for its survival. Plants mainly require water for photosynthesis and animals require water to carry out their normal metabolic activities. The water which is present in the ocean has a large number of chemicals which play a major role in the greenhouse effect. Humans have contributed a lot to the destruction of hydrosphere in the form of pollution. Wastes from industries are discharged into the nearby oceans and lakes thereby decreasing the nutrient content of the water. Algae are present in the water in small quantities and this is responsible for maintaining the nutrient content of the water in the oceans and lakes. But sometimes, the growth of algae increases by a large amount by which the nutrient content of the water is increased to a larger extent. This increase in the nutrient content of the water leads to the death of organisms which are present in the water. This increase of nutrient content of water in the water bodies like oceans, lakes, etc, due to the increase of algae in the oceans and lakes is called algal bloom and this process of increasing the nutrient content of the water and the death of aquatic organisms in the oceans and lakes due to the increase of algae is called Eutrophication. Acid rain is also responsible for polluting the water. Acid rain is mainly made up of sulphuric and nitric acid.
Suppose if the temperature of the Earth was colder, then the water will be frozen state and if the temperature of Earth was hot, then the water will be present in a gaseous and vapour state. The water which is present in the earth is in the liquid state only because of the moderate temperature of our planet Earth. The water which is present in the oceans and seas keep moving everyday .The movement of water mainly depends on temperature of the water as well as the salt content of the water. Since the warm water which is present in the tropical regions has more temperature and it is less dense, this water moves towards the northern poles and the cold water which is present in the poles has less temperature when compared to the warm water in the tropics and hence this cold water moves from the poles to the tropical region. All the living organisms, both plants and animals depend on water for its survival. Plants mainly require water for photosynthesis and animals require water to carry out their normal metabolic activities. The water which is present in the ocean has a large number of chemicals which play a major role in the greenhouse effect. Humans have contributed a lot to the destruction of hydrosphere in the form of pollution. Wastes from industries are discharged into the nearby oceans and lakes thereby decreasing the nutrient content of the water. Algae are present in the water in small quantities and this is responsible for maintaining the nutrient content of the water in the oceans and lakes. But sometimes, the growth of algae increases by a large amount by which the nutrient content of the water is increased to a larger extent. This increase in the nutrient content of the water leads to the death of organisms which are present in the water. This increase of nutrient content of water in the water bodies like oceans, lakes, etc, due to the increase of algae in the oceans and lakes is called algal bloom and this process of increasing the nutrient content of the water and the death of aquatic organisms in the oceans and lakes due to the increase of algae is called Eutrophication. Acid rain is also responsible for polluting the water. Acid rain is mainly made up of sulphuric and nitric acid.
ATMOSPHERE
Like soil and water, the covering of the Earth by air is called atmosphere. Seventy eight percentage of the Earth’s air is made up of nitrogen, twenty one percentage of air is made up of oxygen and the remaining is made up of hydrogen, carbon, etc. The atmosphere extends for 500 km above the surface of the earth. The solar energy from the sun reaches the earth. The earth absorbs how much ever of energy it needs and radiates the remaining energy. The atmosphere re emits the energy radiated by the earth and the atmosphere helps to maintain the heat and the temperature of the earth. Air is also needed for the survival of all living organisms for respiration and photosynthesis. The atmosphere consists of five layers. The layer of the atmosphere which is nearer to the surface of the earth has more temperature and the temperature decreases as the layer increases in altitude. That is, the outermost layer of the atmosphere is the coldest when compared to the other layers. The layer of the atmosphere near the surface of the earth is troposphere. This layer receives most of the heat energy from the earth and this layer is warmer when compared to the other layers of the atmosphere. Troposphere consists of eighty percent of the atmosphere’s mass. The layer above the troposphere is the stratosphere. Actually this layer should be colder when compared to troposphere. But since this layer with the help of ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun, it is bit hotter when compared to troposphere. This layer is also known as the ozone layer. This layer is thinned due to the harmful chlorofluorocarbon emitted by the humans and thus the harmful ultra violet radiations reach the surface of the earth. These ultraviolet rays can cause several health problems in humans like cancer, skin diseases, etc. The next layer above stratosphere is mesosphere. In this layer, water in the atmosphere exists in frozen form and they form ice clouds. Most of the meteors before falling on the surface of the earth have to cross the atmosphere. Mesosphere burns most of the meteors entering into the atmosphere thus reducing the disaster the meteors can cause upon falling on the earth. Mesosphere is colder when compared to stratosphere. The layer above the mesosphere is the thermosphere. This layer is colder when compared to mesosphere. The air molecules which are present in the thermosphere have less density when compared to the air molecules which are present in the layers below it. So the air molecules are scattered widely in this layer. The last and the outermost layer of the atmosphere is the exosphere. This layer is mainly made of only hydrogen and helium gas molecules. When light passes through atmosphere, the light is scattered by the gaseous molecules which is present in the atmosphere. It is only because of the movement of gas molecules in and around the atmosphere that the heat is maintained and distributed around the earth. Atmosphere is severely affected because of the air pollution caused by the humans. The harmful gas and chemical molecules released by the industries and vehicles pollute the air which is present in the atmosphere. As a result, the air which circulates around the surface of the earth is polluted and it cause health problems like asthma, lung cancer and other diseases to humans.
Like soil and water, the covering of the Earth by air is called atmosphere. Seventy eight percentage of the Earth’s air is made up of nitrogen, twenty one percentage of air is made up of oxygen and the remaining is made up of hydrogen, carbon, etc. The atmosphere extends for 500 km above the surface of the earth. The solar energy from the sun reaches the earth. The earth absorbs how much ever of energy it needs and radiates the remaining energy. The atmosphere re emits the energy radiated by the earth and the atmosphere helps to maintain the heat and the temperature of the earth. Air is also needed for the survival of all living organisms for respiration and photosynthesis. The atmosphere consists of five layers. The layer of the atmosphere which is nearer to the surface of the earth has more temperature and the temperature decreases as the layer increases in altitude. That is, the outermost layer of the atmosphere is the coldest when compared to the other layers. The layer of the atmosphere near the surface of the earth is troposphere. This layer receives most of the heat energy from the earth and this layer is warmer when compared to the other layers of the atmosphere. Troposphere consists of eighty percent of the atmosphere’s mass. The layer above the troposphere is the stratosphere. Actually this layer should be colder when compared to troposphere. But since this layer with the help of ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun, it is bit hotter when compared to troposphere. This layer is also known as the ozone layer. This layer is thinned due to the harmful chlorofluorocarbon emitted by the humans and thus the harmful ultra violet radiations reach the surface of the earth. These ultraviolet rays can cause several health problems in humans like cancer, skin diseases, etc. The next layer above stratosphere is mesosphere. In this layer, water in the atmosphere exists in frozen form and they form ice clouds. Most of the meteors before falling on the surface of the earth have to cross the atmosphere. Mesosphere burns most of the meteors entering into the atmosphere thus reducing the disaster the meteors can cause upon falling on the earth. Mesosphere is colder when compared to stratosphere. The layer above the mesosphere is the thermosphere. This layer is colder when compared to mesosphere. The air molecules which are present in the thermosphere have less density when compared to the air molecules which are present in the layers below it. So the air molecules are scattered widely in this layer. The last and the outermost layer of the atmosphere is the exosphere. This layer is mainly made of only hydrogen and helium gas molecules. When light passes through atmosphere, the light is scattered by the gaseous molecules which is present in the atmosphere. It is only because of the movement of gas molecules in and around the atmosphere that the heat is maintained and distributed around the earth. Atmosphere is severely affected because of the air pollution caused by the humans. The harmful gas and chemical molecules released by the industries and vehicles pollute the air which is present in the atmosphere. As a result, the air which circulates around the surface of the earth is polluted and it cause health problems like asthma, lung cancer and other diseases to humans.
BIOTIC COMPONENT
The
biotic component is nothing but the living component of the environment such as
plants and animals.
BIOSPHERE
Biosphere
includes all the living organisms of the earth which interacts among themselves
as well with the abiotic components of the environment. The lithosphere
interacts with the hydrosphere. That is, the soil present in the land absorbs
the water and supplies it to the plants. The hydrosphere interacts with the
atmosphere. That is, the water from all the water bodies evaporates due to the
heat of the sun and accumulates as clouds in the atmosphere. The atmosphere in
turn interacts with both lithosphere and hydrosphere. The rain from the
atmosphere increases the water available in all the water bodies as well as gets
deposited as ground water under the surface of the earth. All these
interactions among the abiotic components of the environment is essential for
the successful maintenance of the biosphere, which is the one which includes
all the living organisms of our earth such as animals, plants and birds. Living organisms survive in the earth by using
the food, water and other resources which are available in the biosphere. Living
beings use the resources of the biosphere and at the same time dump their waste
in the biosphere. Biosphere absorbs all the wastes dumped and try to maintain
and renew the resources that are still available. Biosphere consists of all the
ecosystems namely pond ecosystem, river ecosystem, desert ecosystem, etc and
helps in the interaction and transfer of energy from one ecosystem to another
ecosystem.
There are several factors which directly or indirectly influences biosphere. One such factor is how far our earth is situated from the sun. If earth was too close to the sun, then the temperature will be too hot and hence living organisms will not be able to survive. If the earth was too far away from the earth, then the earth will not receive any sunlight and hence the temperature will become too cold. Then also living organisms cannot exist. Our earth is situated at an optimal distance from the Sun which is perfect to support plant and animal life. All the other planets which do not support life has lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. . It is only because earth supports life that it is surrounded by biosphere apart from lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Biomes are the small sub divisions of the biosphere which is found all over the earth. Biomes are not only found on land but also on water. In the land, the biomes belonging to different regions across the world are distinguished by means of the latitude of the location to which a particular biome corresponds to. Biomes consist of nothing but only birds, animals, plants and human beings. Biomes near the equator generally have large amount of plants and animals. Biomes in the temperate zones have little bit lesser amount of animals and plants when compared to equator biome. But the biome in the polar region has sparse animals and plants. Living organisms are actually very adaptive to their environment. If not, then they will not be able to survive in this earth. The reason behind this is that earth is frequently affected by many natural disasters like earthquake, tsunami, floods, etc. After each and every disaster that takes place, the climate, temperature and the plants and animals which can survive for the new environment keeps changing. The living organisms therefore should be quick in adapting to the new and changing environment. Humans play a major role in both the preservation as well as the destruction of the biosphere and in turn the environment. As the population of human beings increase in the earth, many of the plants and animals are forced to move out of their natural habitat. As a result, many of the plants and animals are becoming extinct. So in order to preserve and save these species from extinction, 17 biosphere reserves are found in India. The biosphere reserves which are found in Tamilnadu are Nilgiri Biosphere reserve and Gulf of mannar biosphere reserve. UNESCO started The Man and Biosphere Programme to create awareness to the human beings about the importance of biosphere, its role in the environment and educated them about the duty of every person in the world to protect the environment and use the available resources wisely and efficiently.
There are several factors which directly or indirectly influences biosphere. One such factor is how far our earth is situated from the sun. If earth was too close to the sun, then the temperature will be too hot and hence living organisms will not be able to survive. If the earth was too far away from the earth, then the earth will not receive any sunlight and hence the temperature will become too cold. Then also living organisms cannot exist. Our earth is situated at an optimal distance from the Sun which is perfect to support plant and animal life. All the other planets which do not support life has lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. . It is only because earth supports life that it is surrounded by biosphere apart from lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Biomes are the small sub divisions of the biosphere which is found all over the earth. Biomes are not only found on land but also on water. In the land, the biomes belonging to different regions across the world are distinguished by means of the latitude of the location to which a particular biome corresponds to. Biomes consist of nothing but only birds, animals, plants and human beings. Biomes near the equator generally have large amount of plants and animals. Biomes in the temperate zones have little bit lesser amount of animals and plants when compared to equator biome. But the biome in the polar region has sparse animals and plants. Living organisms are actually very adaptive to their environment. If not, then they will not be able to survive in this earth. The reason behind this is that earth is frequently affected by many natural disasters like earthquake, tsunami, floods, etc. After each and every disaster that takes place, the climate, temperature and the plants and animals which can survive for the new environment keeps changing. The living organisms therefore should be quick in adapting to the new and changing environment. Humans play a major role in both the preservation as well as the destruction of the biosphere and in turn the environment. As the population of human beings increase in the earth, many of the plants and animals are forced to move out of their natural habitat. As a result, many of the plants and animals are becoming extinct. So in order to preserve and save these species from extinction, 17 biosphere reserves are found in India. The biosphere reserves which are found in Tamilnadu are Nilgiri Biosphere reserve and Gulf of mannar biosphere reserve. UNESCO started The Man and Biosphere Programme to create awareness to the human beings about the importance of biosphere, its role in the environment and educated them about the duty of every person in the world to protect the environment and use the available resources wisely and efficiently.
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